Sharmila Nicollet - Most Talented Indian Female Golfer

Born in Bangalore on 12 March 1991 to Indian mother Surekha Nicollet and French father Marc Nicollet, Sharmila Nicollet is the best female golfers India has ever produced. She studied in the Bishop Cotton Girls` School and then in Bangalore International School. She graduated high school and senior secondary school privately. She is pursuing a bachelor`s degree course program privately as well.

The young Nicollet became interested in sports at a young age and started participating in swimming championships. From 1997 to 2001, she claimed as many as 72 gold and silver medals at various state and national aquatic meets. This former national sub-junior swimming champ was also a state level athlete. She participated in various athletic tournaments and set records while she was still studying in the Bishop Cotton Girls School.

When Nicollet was only 11 years of age, she shifted her focus to golf and soon grew very fond of it. At the age of 15, she won her first golf tournament. In the beginning when she was playing as an amateur, she represented India in 2006 at the Asian Games at Doha and later in the Asia Pacific Junior Golf Tournament. While playing at these tournaments, she kept improving her skills. The same year, she also participated at the Callaway Junior World Golf Championships at San Diego in California, and the Queen Sirikit Cup in Japan, as well as the Malaysian Open and other international tournaments.

In the year 2007, Nicollet became the youngest female golfer to win the title of All-India Ladies Amateur Championship 2007-08. On top of that, she also won seven Open Amateur Tournaments the same year. Later that year, she partnered with Laura Davies of England for a special amateur match, the Emaar-MGF Challenge Match.

In early years, Nicollet was coached by Gaurav Diwan from KGA, however, after taking up professional golf, she learned under the tutelage of coach Tarun Sardesai. In 2009, when she turned 18, she made the jump from amateur golf to professional golf and became the youngest Indian golfer to qualify for the Ladies European Tour.

During the 2009-10 season, Nicollet won the Order of Merit on the Women`s Golf Association of India. After that, she won five more events and during the 2010-11 season, she won seven pro events on the WGAI tour and reached the top of the Order of Merit. At the 2011 Hero Honda Women`s India Open, she became the top Indian golfer at T22 despite the fact that she had the lowest score in the final round.

In 2012, Nicollet became the champion of the Hero-KGA tournament. The same year, she became the youngest Indian golfer to qualify for the Ladies European Tour and the second Indian to earn a full card on the Ladies European Tour. Currently, she has a total of 11 wins on the Women`s Golf Association of India.